The Darkness Inside My Soul
by Lionblaze and Jayfeather
Summary: Kopa is Simba's first son. After Scar's death, Zira's heart is darkened with anger and bitterness. Seeking revenge, she plots to kill him when she finds out that her daughter, Vitani would do anything to keep Kopa safe. What will Zira do? Listen to the darkness in her soul, or try to find back the light that was once there?
1. Prologue

**The Darkness inside my Soul**

"He's adorable, isn't he?" Nala kept saying.

Zira had had enough. She didn't even want to see the new cub. Like she cared. How could she? How could they be happy while her lover was gone? How could Simba even smile when he had seen what had been done to his uncle?

And yet, Zira had warned Scar about the hyenas, and he hadn't listened. He wasn't the only one to pay the price; she was, too. With her three cubs, she didn't know what to do.

But, deep down, she knew. Before passing away, Scar had left very precises instructions to follow if he ever died. It was time for Zira to accomplish Scar's goal.

And she would. As one last goodbye.


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi! I'm so glad that I already have some reviews and follow! I want to apologize for last "chapter," it wasn't really a chapter, just a prologue while I was working on the first chapter. I hope that I'm not going to disappoint you.**

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Kopa. That's how Simba and Nala's first cub was called. Kopa. According to Zira, it was really well chosen. Stupid name for a stupid cub. Her mother would say that she had no right to judge him without even knowing him, but here's the deal: Zira didn't _want _to get to know Kopa. Like she cared about him.

"Zira," Simba called. "Come here! You should see Nuka and Kopa playing together. I think they'll be best mates."

Zira's head shot straight up. _Her _Nuka would never ever be best friend with that ... with Kopa. She would never allow him to. She'd never let him be around Kopa.

She felt the anger rising inside of her body, but she didn't even have the strength to be upset. It felt that there was only place for sadness in her broken heart. That's why she stayed still and ignored Simba's demand. He could wait. He'd wait.

Then, Nala came around, looking worried. She was sweet, that Nala. When Zira was rescued by Scar, she had been the first one to completely accept her, and to make her feel like she was home. Nala used to rely on Zira whenever she felt sad, which happened a lot when Simba was missing. Once he had come back, everything had changed between them. Nala didn't confide in Zira anymore. They, who were once best friends, were behaving like strangers towards each other.

Before, Nala accepted the fact that Zira was Scar's mate, even though he had tried to have Nala as a mate, too─along as many other lionesses. She didn't fully understand why Zira was madly in love with Scar. She didn't understand why Zira always _needed _Scar's approval with everything that she did. But Nala never questioned it; she accepted it. She was one of the few to do so, along as Sarabi. And for that, Zira could never be thankful enough.

But once the truth had exploded in their faces, Nala couldn't behave like that any longer. All she saw when she looked at Zira was Scar's shadow. Nala couldn't stand being around Zira anymore. She didn't feel safe. She knew exactly how Zira was feeling, and she didn't want to upset her "friend." And they weren't friends. Nala drifted away from Zira who just watched her going away, and further and further away. And yet, she hadn't tried to hold Nala back. She had been too busy hurting and grieving.

"Zira!" Simba called again.

"Simba," Nala said. "Leave her alone."

The two lionesses exchanged a glance. Zira caught some pity in Nala's look and turned her head.

"But she's missing out on her cub's youth," Simba said.

"Nuka's not going to be a mature lion by tomorrow," Nala snapped. "Let her be."

If Simba thought something was wrong, he didn't say anything. But Nala's words had worked their magic on her husband, so he left Zira on her own.

Finally, she turned her head back to look at her son, Nuka. He was the oldest. Near to him was standing Vitani, her daughter. She was younger than Nuka and probably a tiny bit older than Kopa.

It must have been quite a while since Scar had been ... eaten alive by the hyenas. Luckily, Zira hadn't seen anything, but she'd been told. She didn't even remember raging as hard. It wasn't even that she cried that hard, because truly, she didn't cry. Scar had told her once that tears were only for the weak. She wasn't weak. She wouldn't let herself burst into tears.

It had been a while. She was still thinking about what her lover had told her. What she needed to do, right now. He had already thought of every single detail for her. All Zira had to do was to put the plan in motion. It was easy. Very easy. But first, she needed to wait until her cub was born. This last baby would be the last piece of Scar left.

"Nuka, Vitani," Zira snapped. "Come here."

The two cubs looked up at their mother, gave each other a weird glance, and walked to her. They knew that it was a very bad idea to piss Zira off. It was, indeed.

She got up on her paws, took a look at Kopa who was watching them, wondering why his buddies were taken away from him. Zira shot a look at Nala who nodded. That was the only proof of the friendship they once shared; Nala didn't need any word from Zira to know what she wanted.

"Come on, Kopa," Nala said. "Your father will show you the kingdom."

Kopa jumped happily and ran to his father. He'd been waiting for this for quite a while. Simba had always wanted to wait because he thought that Kopa wasn't old enough. The truth was that he wanted this to be just like when Mufasa had shown him the Kingdom.

Simba frowned at Nala, but he nodded, agreeing to her idea. And the two of them were gone. Simba had a lot to do. He needed to teach Kopa how to be a good king. Simba wanted his son to have the same education he had been given by his very own father. In his memory, he owed him that, Simba thought.

Zira watched them happily running away, playfully as her two cubs were sitting next to her, concern in their eyes. It was a different level of anxiety for each of them. Vitani wasn't that young, but she didn't seem to quite understand everything that Zira couldn't miss. On the other hand, Nuka, the oldest, knew. He'd been one of the first to hear the news about Scar. Out of the two, he was the one who suffered the most from his father's loss. He wished that he could have had a father to show him everything that Simba wanted to teach Kopa. He wanted that, too, but he wouldn't get it because his father was dead, and Simba would never be a father to him, that Nuka knew. And he was right.

Even if Simba didn't blame the cubs or Zira for Scar's behavior, whenever he saw them, he was only reminded of his uncle. He was afraid that the cubs would follow Scar's paw prints. But Simba was worrying for nothing. Nuka was no threat. The real threat wasn't born yet.

"What is it, Mother?" Nuka asked.

"I don't want you to play with Kopa," Zira said.

"Why? Mother, he's the only cub out here! I don't want to get stuck with Vitani all the time," he groaned.

"Kopa's fun, Mother. You'd love him," Vitani added.

It felt as if goose bum had appeared all over Zira's body. Hearing _her _babies talk about Simba's abomination like that ... As if they could be friends. They wouldn't. She wouldn't get them be friends with Kopa. It was painful, sometimes, that the cubs were too young to fully understand the meaning of Scar's death. If they had, they wouldn't even want to play with Kopa. But they didn't get it.

"I said that you won't play with him anymore," Zira snapped. "Am I being clear enough?" She shot a look at her two cubs, and they saw anger in her eyes. She petrified them with only one glance. She scared them, sometimes.

"Yes," Nuka said, looking down.

Zira didn't say anything else, and she left. Where? They didn't know. She had a tendency to disappear, now more than ever. No one knew where she was going. All they did know was that she could be gone for days.

As Nuka watched her leave, he wondered when he'd see her again.

Vitani didn't really mind. Her mother didn't really take care of her, anyway. Her presence didn't change a lot in Vitani's life.

She walked away from Nuka who caught up with her. "Where are you going?" he asked his sister.

"To find Kopa," she answered.

"Are you crazy? Mother said that we couldn't play with him."

Vitani looked at him and shrugged. "She'll be gone for days. She'll never know. And we can start pretending when she's back."

Nuka thought about it for a second and smiled. His sister was a genius. They could be Kopa's friends whenever Zira was gone. She wasn't home very often anyway. She probably wouldn't notice anything.

What they didn't know is that ... even if Zira was home, she probably wouldn't notice anything. Her mind was gone. And every time that she came back from her secret place, she was more bitter, and her resentment grew with her anger.

It was time for her to put Scar's plan aside—because his plan could only be realized once the cub would be born—and to focus on something of her own. Zira needed to come up with a plan. She needed to make the pain go away. She needed to sort things out, to take out the burning fire that was raging inside of her. And there was only one way to do it.

By getting even.

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**A very special thank you to those who have reviewed. **

**Guest: Well, I know this shoutout feels weird because ... this review was kind of anonymous, but thank you for reviewing, and indeed I'll add more chapters to this! **

**csinumberstlk lover: Ohh, thank you! And I promise you that it will be longer next time! **

**The Ablazing Arrow: Okay, thanks for the heads-up, I'll try to add more descriptions in the next chapters. **

**Hope that you liked it, and I can't wait to hear what you have to say! :) **


	3. Chapter 2

"Look at them," Nala said with a smile. "They're adorable."

Simba nodded, approving his mate. They were watching Kopa, Nuka and Vitani playing. Since Zira had vanished, they were taking care of her cubs while she was gone. Nala didn't know what was going on with Zira; she wouldn't ask, but she'd never let her babies be in trouble. She'd look after them as long as she needed to. Simba, on the other hand, believed that he could make the cubs better by spending time with them. His darkest fear was that they turn out to be just like their father. But Simba didn't want the cubs to know what he was afraid of. So he tried to act normally when they were around, but he knew that it wasn't really working.

"Don't look at Zira's cubs that way," Nala said. "They didn't choose their father."

Simba sighed. He knew that Nala was right, but he had trouble to actually accept that. Indeed, the kids hadn't chosen their father, but Scar was still their father. His blood was running in their veins, and maybe the darkness that had been consuming his heart was too. Simba didn't want to find that out when it would be too late. He needed to know, now. But, truly, he couldn't know. There was no way that he could know. They were just cubs! They were just babies! If he showed them what he thought was the right way, maybe they'd turn out to be good like his uncle once was. But it was a very long time ago. Simba couldn't remember—or maybe he didn't want to—one single moment where his uncle had been good. Yes, so many times Simba actually thought that Scar _was _good, but as a matter of fact, it always turned out that he had been lying or using his nephew to finally rule the Kingdom on his own.

"Simba," Nala said again. "You're doing it again."

He sighed. "I ... Every time I look at them, I see him. What if they turned out to be just like him?"

Nala shook her head. "Just show them the right way."

And Simba knew that she was right. That's what he would do. He would show them the right way. He would help them see that there were other paths to walk on than Scar's. He'd tell them about his own father, Mufasa. They would love him, right? Who wouldn't? Every single lion in the Kingdom had _loved _Mufasa. He had been a great King. Sometimes, Simba was afraid that he couldn't be as good, as just, as loved, as admired. But he never told anyone, although Nala just knew in her bones. She never brought it up either; she knew how much pain Mufasa's death had caused Simba and talking about that always upset him.

Simba walked to the three cubs playing. "Hey," he said.

They didn't stop playing for him though, but Kopa looked up at him. It was amazing how he looked like Simba although his mane was a little darker. But he wasn't like his father. He was more like his mother. He wouldn't have stupid and reckless ideas on his own. That would be up to his friends, but he would definitely follow.

"Hi, Dad," Kopa said.

Simba looked at them, smiling, thinking that maybe it wasn't too late to save all of them. "Do you guys want to see the whole Kingdom from up there?" he asked.

Nuka's head shot straight up. He had always dreamt big, so he was the first one to agree. "Indeed! That's possible? I thought only the rightful heir could."

Simba shook his head. "Not today. Come on."

Vitani got up on her paws, too. She didn't really care about the Kingdom like her older brother. For her, it was just a playground, the place where she would spend her whole life.

As they went through the Kingdom, and as Simba explained them stuff and told them stories, he realized that their hearts were pure. Nala was right. They were just cubs. If someone showed them the right way, that's where they would walk. Noticing that, he didn't feel as afraid of what they could turn out to be. As long as he was there, they'd be all right. Everything would.

Zira was walking in circles, waiting. She was outside of the Pride Lands. She wasn't waiting for someone, but for something. Inspiration, anything that could help her. She _hated _to wait. She hated that she had to wait. But every time she thought that she was losing it, she would look up to the sky, thinking of her one true love. He'd always won her over. And he still did. Wait. She needed to wait or nothing would work out the way she had planned it. Scar had been patient, he had been dreadfully patient. And everything, it worked. That's what Zira needed. But Scar had made one single mistake. He had had some of his job done by someone else. That's something Zira wouldn't do. She saw how it failed, and she couldn't fail. She had no right to, and she wouldn't get a second chance. This would be her only shot, and she couldn't miss. She wouldn't.

What she needed were allies. She needed lionesses to stand by her side. She couldn't go to war alone. And she needed to win Simba over, too. He had never really ... paid attention to her, but every time he did, she saw in his eyes how he despised her. She hoped that he didn't see how she hated him in her own eyes. But he always looked away so quickly; it was impossible for him to know. Zira needed Simba to believe that she had only been Scar's mate, that she didn't share his projects, that she wasn't like him. She needed to get close to him, close enough for him to trust her—enough to let her be alone with all the cubs. That would require time. So much time. Zira didn't know if she could wait that long, but she had to. She owed it to Scar, she thought.

Allies. Who would be ... Who could she talk to? She needed to be sure to talk to the right lion, otherwise the whole thing would blow up in her face. _Think, Zira, think, _she told herself. What she needed were lions that felt like they could relate to Scar. She needed to think of those who had always been second. When Scar had been King, he had had a little fan club, if that could be called like that, and Zira needed to remember which lionesses were in. She had hated that fan club so much, but it was time to put her hate behind her and to team up with them. They were the only one she could trust. They wouldn't fail her or Scar.

And her cubs. She needed to do something about that, too. Hanging out with Kopa. What an idea. Knowing Nala, Zira knew that her cubs were safe when she was gone. Maybe that was the way to have Simba and Nala trust her again. She could try and be friends with Nala again. Zira knew Nala's weak spot. She was just too nice. That was too bad for her. Nala would understand, better than anyone, the pain that Zira was going through. If she could just try to open up to her, she would let her in. Nala wasn't bitter; she forgave easily. She wouldn't be mad at Zira for wanting to be alone while graving on her mate. That was the way in for Simba's heart. He trusted Nala's judgement over anything else in the world. Winning Nala over meant winning Simba over, too.

That was easy, Zira thought. But still, she couldn't go to war alone. At first, she had thought of the hyenas, but ... they kind of hated Scar, and they only thought with their stomach which wouldn't be any help because Zira wouldn't promise them any food. The lionesses were the best option. No one would suspect anything because ... they weren't outsiders! That was genius. But Zira needed to be careful. If she got caught, everything would fall apart and she'd never get what she wanted.

Patient. She needed to be.

So she walked slowly back to the Pride Lands after only one day. It would have been her shortest "trip." She got herself together, and thought about what she'd say to Nala.

Step one was in motion.

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**Hello, hello! I'm so glad that so many of you actually reviewed! I hope that you have liked that one. I can't wait to hear what you thought! **

**MapleDaisy: Thank you for the review! Hope you liked that! **

**The Ablazing Arrow: Hello! Oh, wow, thank you so much! That was really sweet. I'm feeling revenge-y so ... I hope that I did an okay job with Zira, and everything. Wow, every time I read your review, I just have the biggest smile on my face. Thank you a lot! **

**csinumberstlk lover: Hi! Thanks for the review! Hahaha, you're funny. Indeed, she wants her kids to think like her. And I hope that you liked that chapter! **

**I will try to update soon. Maybe once a week. Hopefully! **


	4. Chapter 3

**I'm very sorry it took me so long to update. I was gone to Mexico for a while, and I have been quite busy. But, I hope that you'll like it!  
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"Mother!" Nuka stuttered when he saw Zira coming back to the Pride Lands while he was still playing innocently with Kopa and his very own sister Vitani.

They didn't have time to pretend to be playing only together. They didn't have time to shove Kopa aside or to tell them that he should go. They hadn't warned him about what Zira had asked them to do—not be around Kopa anymore. Nuka was already getting ready to be yelled at and to be—again—such a disappointment.

He immediately stared at the ground which made him look even more guilty—if he only were. His sister, on the other hand, didn't behave like him. She stepped aside, taking a few steps away from Kopa who wisely decided to back off. Maybe he saw the way Zira was looking at him and that made him uncomfortable.

"Mother," Vitani whispered. "You're back."

"I thought that I had raised you well," Zira said as she sat down next to them, still glancing at Kopa, "but now I see that I was wrong. The minute I look away, you take the opportunity to do everything I asked you not to."

She didn't sound angry, though and that's what confused Nuka and Vitani. Zira scraped the ground with her claws and that made Kopa taking a few more steps back. He didn't quite like the way she was staring at him, just like she could freeze him with only one look and do whatever she wanted with him.

But before he could think of running away, Nala showed up, looking worried. Judging by the look on her face, it was as if she had known that her son wasn't feeling well.

"Zira," she said, with relief in her voice. "You're home."

Zira nodded and decided to smile at Nala. "Yes, I was just making sure the kids were all right." She paused. "Do you want to go for a hunt? Just like old times?" she offered Nala, reminding her of the good times they had once shared together.

Nala's eyes immediately lightened up as she recalled how much fun it used to be to hang out with Zira. They would challenge each other, trying to find out who was the fastest and who could bring home the biggest dinner for the Pride. It seemed like everything was competition, but it was more of a game between them. They liked to "play" and it had never bothered them that everything seemed to be revolving around competition. It didn't really matter because none of them was better than the other in everything.

"Yeah, that'd be fun," Nala agreed. She turned to Kopa, licked the top of his head, and then she was gone, running as fast as she could, as to challenge Zira to catch up with her, and to be faster. And it worked. Zira rolled her eyes, slightly amused, but not as she used to be, and she just gave one last glance at her cubs, mentally telling them to remember what she had told them, before chasing after Nala.

Nuka watched his mother leaving as the pressure he had felt on his entire body slowly withdrawing.

Kopa took one step forward, getting closer to his two friends. "Your mother's creepy," he declared.

Nuka jumped on his paws, ready to defend his mother until the end. "She's not," he replicated madly. "She's just having a bad day. It happens to everyone."

"My mother's never in a bad mood," Kopa stated.

"Your mother's Nala," Vitani pointed out. "She is _never _in a bad mood." What she didn't say was that sometimes she wished that her own mother could be more like Kopa's. And she would never say it aloud because of her older brother, Nuka. He'd be so upset with her. He thought that if he behaved the way Zira wanted, then maybe she would acknowledge that she was supposed to love him like Nala loved Kopa.

Kopa started to laugh. "She can be when I disobey," he told them.

But both Nuka and Vitani shook their head as to say that they didn't believe him for a single second. But at least, their mother let them play with Kopa. She didn't quibble them about being around the cub like she forbid them to. It didn't change the fact that they knew that she was pissed, but the storm would hit them later so they had some time to keep playing with Kopa and to find a very good excuse to explain their behavior.

Nala kept running, but she slowed down so that Zira could catch up with her. Once she did, they kept running at the same speed and none of them seemed to want to get ahead of the other. They just kept running, even forgetting to hunt. When they couldn't see the Pride Rocks anymore, Nala slowed down and so did Zira.

"Maybe we should hunt," Nala said.

"Yeah," Zira said. "On the way back home."

They turned around but didn't run. They just kept walking. They were a little out of breath, and Nala's tongue was slightly out of her mouth, but she licked her muzzle and closed her jaws.

Zira decided that it was time for her to speak up, and to try to get Nala back on her side, although she knew she didn't have much to do: Nala had never really left that spot.

"I know that ... I haven't been very easy lately," Zira said. "And I want to thank you for looking out for Nuka and Vitani. I know that they love you."

Nala seemed surprised, cocking her head on the side, and then she said, "Well, they missed their mother a lot."

Zira didn't say anything about that back. "You and I have always been good friends," she said instead. "And that would suck if it was gone forever."

"It wasn't gone," Nala replied. "You just needed time to get yourself together, and I understand. When you'll be ready to have someone around again, I'll be there to be your friend."

And Nala didn't say this only because she wanted to be nice. She said it because it was who she was, how she always behave around everyone. She wanted to make everyone happy. It seemed to her that Zira was caving in, that she finally was willing to open up.

"I ... The truth is that I don't know how to be around my cubs anymore," Zira said, looking away, not because she didn't want Nala to see her shed a tear or two, but because she didn't want Nala to see that she wasn't crying at all—not even close to. "They remind me of him."

Nala could relate at some point, recalling the time where she thought that Simba was gone forever, that she'd never see him again. "It will get easier," she promised Zira although they both knew that she was lying.

It wouldn't get better or easier. It was just about to get worse.

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**I would want to thank everyone who's reviewed, favorited and followed. It's just amazing; you are all amazing. Thanks a lot! **

**_csinumberstlk lover_: I think you mean that ... Kopa and Vitani were twins? instead of Vitani and Kovu? and it could've been a possibility, but it's not one that I will talk about in this fanfiction. sorry if that dissapoints you. Thanks for reviewing! **

_**roxaskey**_: **Woow, thanks a LOT for the review, it was so sweet and nice to read! It just makes me want to write even more and update even more often! **

**_The Ablazing Arrow_: Don't worry; you're never late for a review! I think that your reasoning makes a lot of sense! And it was a bit what I was heading for, but not quite, so there will still be some surprises for you, don't worry! And about Zira knowing (or not) that Scar wanted to make Nala his mate, it will be said and explained later! :) Thank you for reviewing! **


	5. Chapter 4

**I think I've started all my chapters by apologizing, so I'll try not to do that. It took me longer than I expected, but don't worry, I haven't given up on writing this fanfiction. I hope that you'll like it!**

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It had been a while since Zira had decided to allow herself to talk to Nala again. The two had gotten along pretty well, just like old times, but something was off, and even though Nala might not notice it, Zira did. And she knew that it was because of her.

Zira was licking her fur when Nala came by, "Hi," she said.

"Hi," Zira replied without looking up. She kept an eye on her cubs who were playing with Kopa. Although she had forbidden them to, they hadn't listened to her. When she had came back to see them with Kopa, she had wanted to snap at them and to punish them the way she intended to, but Nala had protected them even though she had no idea. To get closer to Nala, Zira figured that her cubs would be a good way to help her do that.

Zira hadn't apologized for Scar's behavior, and she wouldn't apologize for hers. She didn't think Nala needed to hear any apologies, and even if she did, she wouldn't get any.

"They're so adorable together," Nala confessed, lying down next to Zira to clean herself up, too.

It was implied that she was talking about the cubs who were obviously becoming good friends. Zira had to look away from Nala. She couldn't stand the kindness in her eyes.

"Yeah," Zira lied. "They are." She inhaled. "Is Simba taking Kopa out today?" He did that very often, but he still hadn't taken Zira's cubs although he had promised that he would some day. It seemed that he wasn't as ready as he pretended.

Nala nodded. "I think so. Kings talk," she laughed. Then, she paused and studied Zira's face carefully. Ever since Zira had become friends with her again, Nala didn't quite understand her friend like she used to. Something was between them, and it was driving them apart, and it seemed that nothing could be done about it. She wanted Zira to let her in, and even if Zira had tried to do that, Nala knew that there was something she wasn't telling her. It had not bothered her because she figured it was normal for her old friend to have some secrets of her own, but her whole behavior and attitude was _definitely _weird.

"Can he ... Can he bring Nuka along?" Zira asked. "He's been talking about this for days, and I don't ... I don't want to tell him that he never will go with them."

Nala's head shot straight up. Of course, being the King had everything to do with luck. If Kopa was meant to be the King after Simba, it was only because he was lucky enough to be Nala's cub. There would always be some lions to be jealous of the true heir. That's why both Simba and Nala needed to be very careful with Kopa. Danger could be anywhere.

Nala felt some disappointment in Zira's voice. She had tried to talk to Simba. He hadn't said no, but he hadn't said yes either.

"I thought of it, too," he had said.

What was that supposed to mean? He seemed more confident than ever, thinking he could change Zira's cubs, show them the right way, and somehow, he still refused to do it. Nala had tried to dig, to understand what was going on in Simba's mind. When he had finally told her the reason why, it had left Nala speechless.

"I can't prioritize Zira's cubs over all the other ones just because my uncle died. You know how many cubs would want to have such opportunity? I don't want any of them to think that Nuka and Vitani are my favourites, beside Kopa," Simba had explained.

It made sense, in a way. Maybe it was Simba's own way of not repeating history. His own father had been prioritized over Scar, and knowing how it ended up, he didn't want things to happen all over again. Lions could get jealous easily, and they were supposed to be equals. They were all one which meant that no one was supposed to stand out. They all had the same privileges, and Simba didn't want to change that. After all, he was the King. He had to do what he thought was right, and he wanted so much to follow his father's paw prints that he wouldn't change a single thing about how the Kingdom worked.

Nala had tried to talk him out of that old state of mind, but he had told her to mind her own business in a nice way, though. Nala and Simba didn't argue a lot, but that was still a subject that Simba didn't like to discuss.

"I'll ask him," Nala said to Zira, snapping out of her thoughts, "but I can't promise you anything."

Zira nodded as to pretend that she understood. Truthfully, she didn't believe that Simba would agree, but maybe he'd surprise her if Nala asked him herself. She had this way with Simba, and it seemed that she would always get what she wanted from him.

Nala got up on her paws, and she walked toward Simba who was watching Kopa from further away. Zira kept an eye on them, subtle enough for them not to notice.

"Simba," Nala said while lying down next to him.

He licked the top of her head and rubbed his head against hers fondly.

"Are you taking Kopa to see the Kingdom today?" she asked.

Simba's head shot straight up, and something in his eyes told her that he knew exactly what she was going to say. "Yes," he said.

"Would you ... could you take Nuka with you? And maybe Vitani?"

Simba sighed and looked away. The whole dilemma started again in his head. He had been thinking of it for so long on his own. Ever since Nala had tried to talk him into it, to be honest. He had wanted so desperately to help Zira's cubs. He truly wanted to show them the right way, to make them understand that they could choose not to follow their father's path, that there was another way to do this, but he was afraid that the other cubs wouldn't like his interest into them. When he had become King, he had promised himself that he would treat every single lion equally. They would all get the same treatment, well apart from the heir because he would had responsibilities the others would never have. Could he break that promise? Could he change? Changing meant not following exactly his father's path any longer.

What would Mufasa do in such situation? That was a question Simba asked too often, but he never got any answer. Whenever he was lost, he would look up to the sky and talk to his father, but the echo was the only thing coming back.

Simba's father would try his hardest to help everyone. The other lions would understand, right? He could still look out for the other cubs. Just because he was making an exception for Nuka and Vitani didn't mean that he wouldn't care for the others.

So he looked at Nala, and he nodded. "Yeah. I'll take them. Kopa will be happy to have some company." He got up on his paws and went to get the cubs. They all seemed so thrilled.

Zira hadn't missed a single thing of that conversation. She'd seen the way Nuka's eyes had just lightened up when Simba had told him that he could come with them. She should grab both her cubs by the neck and take them very far away. But she couldn't do such thing. There was still one thing that she needed to do, and that was revenge.

Her plan was going well. She had gone back into Nala's good graces, and now her cubs were into Simba's. Soon, she would be no threat at all, and no one would care if she tried to talk to some lionesses.

But there was one thing that Zira hadn't seen, and it wasn't about Nala or Simba, not even about Kopa or Nuka. It was Vitani. She hadn't seen the way Vitani had looked up to Kopa, with her eyes filled with stars. She hadn't seen the way her daughter was always waiting for Kopa's approval before doing something. Zira hadn't understood that something _was _going on between Kopa and Vitani.

Maybe Zira was hiding a lot, but she wasn't the only one. Kopa and Vitani shared one secret that they had kept from everyone. No one else than them knew, and that was the only flaw of Zira's plan.

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csinumberstlk lover: thank you for the review! hope you liked that chapter ! xx


	6. Chapter 5

The night made every star shine bright in the sky, but Zira wasn't out to admire that beautiful ceiling. She wasn't asleep, but she was pretending to be. Her cubs were curled up against her, and she was giving her back to Simba and Nala. They seemed to be the only ones still awake, and they were whispering, but Zira could still hear it very well.

"How did it go?" Nala wondered. "How did it go with Nuka and Vitani?"

"Great, actually," Simba admitted. "They're so ..."

"Different?"

Zira heard Simba chuckle. "Yeah. I think Zira's kindness has to do with it. I didn't ... They're not like him."

Zira's eyes widened. _Kindness? _she thought. Had she been too gentle with her cubs? She felt disgusted that they could think such thing of her, but then she smiled. Fine. It would be great if they thought that she was _kind. _It meant that they had no clue of what was coming to get them. It meant that they would gladly let Zira babysit Kopa. With that thought, she fell asleep, thinking that she was one step closer to avenging Scar.

The next morning, when she woke up, she realized that her cubs had already vanished. Her head shot straight up, and she noticed that Kopa was gone, too. Nala was just waking up, and she smiled at her. Zira smiled back, and got up on her paws, wanting to find her cubs. It was like a fight with herself about that matter. She didn't want her cubs to be around Kopa, and yet, she needed them around so that Simba's vigilance would slowly be put to sleep. If he only had one single doubt about her intentions, everything would fail. And she wouldn't get a second chance.

The sun shone on her pelt, and it was warm outside. She yawned, and went looking for her cubs. She found Nuka first. He was alone in a corner. He seemed pretty upset.

"Nuka," she said.

He turned his head to look at her, getting on his paws really quickly. "Mother."

"Where's your sister?"

Nuka shrugged, and he shook his head. "I don't know. She wasn't there when I woke up."

Zira wasn't filled with worry, but with anger. It must have been Kopa's fault. Vitani would never do something like that without her mother's approval. She would never run away. She would never disobey. She was a good kid, and she had always been one ... until that Kopa came into her life.

Nuka tried to talk some sense into his mother, but even he knew that it was useless. She wouldn't hear him nor would she accept that her daughter cared about Kopa.

What were they doing, she wondered. She vaguely remembered telling Nuka to stay there before running into the savanna, fishing for the scent of her daughter. She found it very quickly.

They were playing _together. _She could hear them laughing from where she was standing, and it felt as if someone was scratching her ears with its claws and fangs. It needed to stop. She was about to jump on them and to bring Vitani back home―by the skin of her neck if needed―when Simba magically appeared next to her.

Zira had to refrain herself from killing him right now. But that's not what she wanted to do. She wouldn't kill Simba ... at least, not yet.

"Oh, you're here," he said when he saw her. He smiled frankly at her, and she couldn't find it in her to smile back.

"Yeah," she said. "Nuka told me that his sister was gone, and I guess I kind of freaked out."

Simba nodded. "I wouldn't worry too much," he said. "Kopa would never let anything happen to your daughter."

It hit Zira when Simba said that. Kopa would _never _let anything happen to her daughter. And Vitani would never let anything happen to her mother. Zira stood still, watching the cubs playing together, watching them caring for each other. She had heard some lionesses say that they reminded them of Simba and Nala when they were young. And look where they were now. Married. King and Queen. That would not happen. Not to Zira's Vitani. She wasn't meant to be Queen. Her brother was. Not Nuka, no. The one that Zira was carrying inside of her was. He was the chosen one. Scar had been really clear about the master plan. He had chosen a heir, and it had been Zira's unborn cub. She had already picked a name for him. He would be called Kovu. And somehow, the name fit perfectly, even though the future King wasn't born yet. It wouldn't be very long, though, Zira felt it in her bones.

"Maybe we should take them back," Zira pointed out.

But Simba shook his head. "Let them play. They'll come home when they'll be ready." He turned around, and waited for Zira to come with him before slowly going back home. She didn't have any other choice than to follow him. He wouldn't have understood why she wanted her daughter with her so badly. She just shot both cubs a look before fading away.

"Did you see her?" Kopa whispered to Vitani when both their parents were gone.

"Yeah," Vitani murmured. "I thought she would come over here and grab me."

"My father talked her out of it."

He walked away a bit, and Vitani followed him. She didn't exactly understand why, but she just had this feeling that that was it. She couldn't even explain it. Every time she looked at Kopa, that thought would cross her mind, even though she ignored the meaning of it. She would, soon enough.

"How about we go to the water hole a bit?" Kopa suggested.

Vitani nodded. "Yeah. I'm thirty anyway."

He smiled, and touched her with his paw on the shoulder, shouting, "Tag! You're it!" And he ran away while Vitani chased him down.

They thought that they could run away from Zira's anger. They thought that being together would make them stronger. They thought it made them stronger. They were wrong. It only made them weaker, and Zira had understood that before them.

That morning, she decided that it was time for her to talk to the lionesses that once were on Scar's side. Maybe they would still support him. When they saw her coming, they gave each other looks. They weren't outsiders in their own home, but other lionesses didn't feel comfortable with them around, pointing out the fact that they once wanted Scar for King.

"Hello, Zira," they said. "What brings you here?"

"I have an offer to make."

That's all it took for the lionesses to be hooked. They carefully observed Zira, trying to figure out whether or not she was playing them before letting her speak. The plan was very simple, indeed.

"If we get caught, we'll become outsiders," one pointed out.

"_If _we get caught," Zira repeated, emphasizing the "if." She looked at all the lionesses―they were five―and studied them for a while. "I thought of everything. You don't need to do much. I'll do everything. All you need to do is keep Simba and Nala's attention for just a minute."

"That's if you manage to be with Kopa on your own."

"Don't worry about that. I've got an idea." And Zira let out a Machiavellian laugh, and five distinct roars joined her voice.

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I just realized that "Kovu" actually means "scar" in Swahili. I think that's just so ... wow. I can't describe the feeling, but I'm impressed. It just .. fits. Okay, enough about my rambling, I just thought it was interesting to point that fact out. I know that Simba means lion, and that Upendi means love, and that Rafiki means friend, I think, but I wasn't aware of Kovu. Another deep thing about The Lion King. Another great thing. I love that.

**Emerald dreamer96**: Thank you for the review!


	7. Chapter 6

It wasn't easy to convince the few lionesses to work with Zira, though. But once it was done, another event happened. The last born was finally able to walk on his own. Zira called him Kovu. He had been hand-chosen by Scar to be his heir, even though he wasn't Kovu's father. Kovu would be Zira's pride. Even if his genes wasn't in the cub, Scar had said that he'd be the strongest, the smartest, the best. It was such a compliment to receive from a King.

With another cub to take care of, Zira's days were pretty busy, and she had less time to think about revenge. She had less time to watch Vitani and Nuka and they enjoyed their free time very much. They had more time to play with Kopa, and the bond between them grew stronger every day. Kopa was like the brother Nuka never had. Kopa was the best friend Vitani never knew. There was something between them that couldn't be denied whenever they were looked at. Lions could see the affection they had for each other.

It made Nala's heart melt. It made Simba smile. It would have upset Zira, but she was a tad too busy to notice. She didn't have much time to think about anything else than Kovu. He needed to be perfectly healthy, and she looked after him like never before.

It made Nuka very jealous. It didn't bother Vitani, though. She was happy to have another brother that would play with her, too. She tried talking some sense into her big brother, but he wouldn't listen, so she let it go. It didn't really matter because all their problems would vanish when they were with Kopa. Everything was just easy. They didn't have to wonder if he'd be mad at them for saying this or doing this. He respected them. That was probably because of Nala. She had taught him to accept everyone, and to not judge other lions that weren't like him.

It was a normal day. The cubs would be out playing all day long while the lionesses would go hunting later. Simba was dealing with some minor issues with Zazu's help.

Nuka was supposed to play with both Vitani and Kopa, but at the very last minute, he didn't go. He needed to be a little more serious, and maybe his mother would finally acknowledge him the way she did when Kovu was around. _The chosen one, _Nuka kept thinking with bitterness. He grew more and more bitter every single day.

He decided to start training a little. If he showed Zira how strong he was, how smart he was, maybe she'd reconsider his case. All he was looking for was his mother's pride. He wanted her to be proud of her oldest cub. And she would be.

Meanwhile, Vitani and Kopa decided to go to the water hole. There wasn't much to do there, but they liked it there. If the sun was too warm, they could just run into the water and that would feel so good.

Zazu wasn't with them which was quite unusual. Simba always sent him with them whenever they were out of his sight. The feeling they both had was different. Normally, Nuka was with them, and he'd be the grown-up, but not this time. They were left on their own, and it felt great to be trusted.

They played, they fought, they drank water, and they sat down together in the water.

"Hey, look," Kopa said. "We are one."

Vitani looked at the water, and he was right. Their reflections had somehow merged into one. On the left side was Kopa's half face, and on the right side was Vitani's half face.

They both laughed while looking at it.

Kopa was the first to break the silence. "You know that I'll be King one day, right?" he asked Vitani.

She nodded. Of course she knew. Everyone knew.

"My father said that when he was as old as I am, he was told that Nala would be his mate, that they'd be together forever."

It was tradition, after all.

"I asked hi who would be my Queen, and he said that they hadn't figured that out yet."

He looked at Vitani and rubbed his head against hers, fondly. Sometimes, it felt like she was his baby sister and that he had to take care of her, but most of the time, it felt like she was just another brother, and that they could do anything together, that they could be reckless—he left her that part, Kopa wasn't really the kind to take risks; he was nothing like his father for that specific point. But right now, right then, he felt something different. She wasn't a sister nor a brother. She was his best friend. She was the one to whom he'd share everything.

"And I think it should be you," he told Vitani. "I think that you should be my Queen." He smiled at her. "After all, my father married his best friend, and you are mine. It is only natural if I wed my best friend, don't you agree with me?"

Vitani smiled back at her best friend. Of course, she agreed with him. She would agree to everything he'd say if it meant that he'd still look at her like that. She had her doubts, too. She didn't think a lot about their future. She didn't think a lot about when Kopa would become King because then, he'd have so many other things to think about other than his childhood best friend. She didn't think that he'd be willing to make her his Queen. But that was just meaningless words. They were so young. How could he even know what he wanted? He didn't.

"I would love that," Vitani stated.

And they stayed like that, together, their heads against each other's, until they were called, until their parents wanted them to get back home.

And no one seeing them could have doubted their love.

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Kamaria Jay: I'm still trying to figure out what is Zira's master plan, along as what will happen between Kopa and Vitani, so I don't have an answer for you, although I kind of know where I'm headed. Keep reading to find out! :) Thank you for reviewing and reading, and sorry that it took me forever to update!


	8. Chapter 7

**Sorry, sorry sorry SO MUCH for not updating faster! I have been so busy, but now school's over and I hope to be able to update at least once a week. I'm not going to promise that I will update once a week, but I'll promise that it's never going to take as long. **

**Hope you enjoy the chapter ! **

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Was Kovu really the cub Scar had seen? He had nothing of a leader. The cub was almost scared of his own shadow. It infuriated Zira to no end. How could she get her revenge if the cub meant to be King couldn't stand for himself?

She spent months teaching him how to "take care of himself." Even Nuka hadn't taken that much time to learn.

But Zira's faith, even though it was not as strong as before, was still there.

Zira was so focused with Kovu's training that she didn't notice the change of attitude of her two other cubs.

Nuka had kept his word, and he kept on training, harder every time. He was actually getting pretty good. Sometimes, Kopa would join him and they'd hit it off like they always did. They would take Vitani with them sometimes. Obviously, it often ended up in playing instead of actual training.

Vitani had spent every single minute of her time with Kopa. As soon as she could, she would run to him and they would share some moments by the waterhole. Kopa told her stories about his parents, about how they became the bestest of friends, about how they had finally found their way back to each other after believing that Simba was dead. These stories, they moved Vitani.

Yes, she had known that Scar hadn't been the best of Kings. She just hadn't known that he'd been a tyrant, a real one. Her mother would often talk her out of that, telling her that he did what was right, that he did what no lion had ever dreamt of doing before. Vitani always believed her mother. She always believed that Scar had been good, truly good, but hadn't been seen as such. But with Kopa's stories, Vitani couldn't deny the truth. She couldn't bear the thought of being related to him, nor could she understand why her mother had lied about this.

If she didn't want to say the truth, she could have said nothing. Nothing was still better than a handful of lies.

One day, Vitani decided to confront her mother about the matter. It was driving her insane, and she didn't know what to think. Zira probably had a good reason for not telling the facts, Vitani was sure of that. Her mother would never purposefully lie to her, would she?

No, she wouldn't.

"Mother," Vitani said while Zira was busy trying to train Kovu. He didn't want to try anymore. He was tired and Zira was pushing him way too much. Why couldn't she let him be the way she did with Vitani and Nuka?

"Not now, Vitani," she snapped never looking at her nor away from Kovu.

Kovu moaned in despair. He really needed some time to be a cub which Zira wouldn't let him to do. She didn't want him to be a _kid, _she needed him to be a grown-up. Nala and Simba would never accept to keep an eye on her cub if he wasn't stronger. They'd be too afraid that he'd need his mother. That's why she trained Kovu to make him the strongest. If the cubs couldn't keep Nala and Simba's attention, she didn't know what could.

Sure, the lionesses had promised they would help too, but Zira needed some back-up plan in case something went wrong. She still didn't know how loyal were the lionesses and she wasn't willing nor ready to bet on them.

She needed an excuse to get Kopa alone. What could she come up with? She had a couple of ideas but none of them seemed legit enough to work. None of them seemed good enough to not make Simba or Nala suspicious. They knew she never really gave a damn about Kopa. If she came up all of a sudden and _cared, _that would be bad. They would know that she was up to something.

She had yet to earn their trust. Zira believed she was almost there, though. Nala had never really feared Zira's presence around her cubs, not as much as Simba. And now, Simba barely kept an eye on her whenever she was "playing" with the cubs. He almost trusted her. Soon, he'd be willing to leave her with the cubs and he wouldn't even come to check on them every two seconds.

But training Kovu was harder than expected and that slowed down her process to earn the King and Queen's trust. Zira didn't think that would be a problem, though. What would was to make Kopa's mistrust to sleep. He thought that Zira hadn't noticed, but she had. She couldn't help but see every time the cub would look her way, his eyes blazing with anger or with confusion or with fear sometimes. That's why she needed her cubs to make him trust her. If Kopa trusted either Nuka, Kovu or Vitani, he would be more willing to trust Zira.

"Mother," Vitani said again. "I need to ask you something."

Zira's teeth knocked together as her head snapped to look at Vitani. Her eyes darkened with annoyance.

"What do you want, Vitani?" Her voice was everything but sweet.

Vitani was almost willing to withdraw her question and to back off, but she knew that she had to ask now. Her mother would never be in a better mood—she had learnt that now. It was now or never.

"Is it ... is it true that Scar was a tyrant? That he murdered Mufasa and tried to have Simba killed?"

Now, Zira's attention was focused on her daughter, on the ungrateful daughter that dared to ask such question. She turned away from Kovu and took one step forward, her eyes never leaving Vitani's. She inclined her head a little, still looking at Vitani from the top which required Vitani to look up at her mother's infuriated eyes.

"Who told you that? Who filled your head with bloody lies?" Zira demanded angrily.

"It doesn't matter, Mother," Vitani whispered. "I just want to know whether or not it is true."

"It's Kopa, isn't it?"

When Vitani didn't answer, Zira knew.

"And you'd trust him over me?" Zira barked. "You'd trust a cub over your _mother_? I am your mother, Vitani. I would not tell you filthy lies. Scar was not a tyrant. Those lions think that he was because they didn't understand him! They didn't understand his motives nor his behaviour. But I did. Oh, I did.

"You don't know what they put him through, Vitani. You have no idea. What did Kopa tell you? I bet he just told you about the times that his father told him about. He probably only filled you in about the times where Simba believed his uncle was evil.

"But that is nonsense. I'll make you suffer the way they did, and you will never forget. And you will understand why Scar acted the way he did and why everyone else thinks that he was in the wrong."

Zira's tail was like a whip behind her. Her teeth seemed sharper than ever to Vitani who just wanted to curl up in a corner.

That's only then that Vitani knew the truth. Kopa might not have said the whole story. But Vitani knew that he hadn't been lying to her.

Zira hadn't been lying to her, either.

With horror, Vitani realized that her mother _truly _believed that what Scar did was good. She really believed that he had the best reasons to do what he did.

But there never were good reasons when it came to murdering someone.

At least, that's what Vitani thought. Zira believed otherwise.

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cook563: thank you! I'm glad you liked it. Hopefully, that hasn't changed !


	9. Chapter 8

Vitani's questions ran through Zira's mind for the night, and for the following days. She did not once leave the place where Scar would go to when Simba was a cub, this rock high in the air, where she could spend some time to think. Not think about whether she was right to do what she wanted to do. She didn't once doubt Scar. She'd never doubt him.

How could she doubt him? After everything he'd done for her, doubting him would be betraying him.

Her whole life, no one had ever cared for her the way she felt that Scar had. He'd given her everything that she had never had when she was younger, everything that she never dared dream of.

To begin with, he had saved her life. Not only physically, but in many other ways.

Zira's cubs would probably say otherwise, but she believed that they had the best life. They had everything: food, water, friends, mother, babysitters, even. They lacked nothing. Nothing had been taken away from them. No one had turned their backs on them. They would grow into beautiful lions and strong spirits. They'd have it easy. At least, easier than Zira.

It'd never been easy for her. Hell, Zira didn't know easy. At the beginning of her life, she'd had to fight to survive. She hadn't been surrounded by love like Kopa was. Her parents never cared for her. They were way too busy hunting to save their lives or fighting to protect their family.

A voice interrupted Zira's thoughts. "Zira?"

Her head snapped straight up as she stared at the lioness that dared disturb her. Nala.

Zira shook her head and got up on her paws, trying to make the nostalgia go away. "Hello, Nala. What brings you here?" Zira asked.

Nala got closer to her, her brows furrowed, being very careful at each step taken. She didn't quite like being up here, but she knew it would be where Zira would be.

"It's been a couple of days, Zira," Nala reminded her. "Aren't you ... hungry? Nuka, Vitani and Kovu are worried about you. They didn't know where to find you. They thought you had abandoned them."

Nala's tone was matter-of-factly, but Zira knew that even she was very concerned about her friend's behaviour. Even when she was mourning Scar, she never stayed away as long. She would come by almost every day to check on her cubs and to hunt a little for the pride. That was one of her tasks and she ought to take care of it.

But this time was different. Zira hadn't eaten in days. She hadn't hunted either. She should have felt guilty a little because if she didn't hunt, it meant that someone else did it for her. The lionesses had enough to carry on their shoulders; they really did not need to do more.

But none of them had tried looking for Zira. They knew it was only a matter of time before the break down. They hadn't thought it would take this long, though. Even though half of them didn't like Scar and what he had put them all through, they still had some deep respect for Zira. They knew her story a little and were perfectly aware of the fact that she hadn't had it easy. They respected her strength and even admired it at some point.

In their minds, she'd been as much a victim as they had been. She'd been lied to, abused, and led on. Zira had never, not even once, tried to deny the rumours about her "relationship" with Scar. The ones that were against him thought he had forced himself on her, that she'd never wanted him in the first place.

That's where they were all wrong. If someone _had _wanted Scar, it had been no one else than her.

Zira tried to smile at Nala but she was pretty sure that it was more of a wince than an honest smile. She couldn't be honest about being content. She wasn't.

"I haven't," Zira said. "I just ... I needed some time for myself."

Nala nodded. "Yeah, that's what I thought. That's why I waited this long before looking for you. But ..." She paused. "You should get something to eat. Maybe hunt a little."

Nala would never say it, but they could have used Zira's help for the hunting part. Her three cubs ate more than it seemed possible for anyone to eat. They also could use her skills to teach the new cubs how to hunt. Nuka was getting old enough to be taught. For Vitani, Kopa and Kovu, it would take a while. They were too busy fighting with each other—just for fun—to wait just a single second, to give anyone the time to teach them something.

Kovu was, in fact, very glad of the few days of vacation he had been given by his mother. The training wasn't fun at all. And now that he had seen what it was like to be a normal cub, just like his sister and just like Kopa, he wasn't sure if he wanted to go back to the training his mother would put him through.

She said that it was because he was special that he could have this much attention from her. She turned the exhausting training into some bonding between mother and son.

Yes, Kovu used to feel special, but it quickly got old. He had never seen Nala bond with Kopa the way that Zira did with him.

"You need me to hunt?" Zira asked quietly. She didn't want anyone's attention on her right now. She wanted to be left alone.

Nala quickly shook her head. "No, of course not."

"Liar," Zira muttered.

Nala smiled as she sat down in front of Zira who decided to do the same. "You know we can always use everyone's help, but we can manage without you for a while. Don't take too long, though." Nala ended her sentence with a rather happy tone. She didn't want Zira to worry more than she already did.

"I won't be long," Zira promised.

Seeing it as her cue to leave, Nala got up on her paws and left after flashing a friendly smile toward Zira. Whatever it was that was on her friend's mine, Nala knew that she would not open up. At least, not to her. If she wanted to talk about it, she would. That's what Nala had learned about Zira throughout the years. Don't ask. If you're meant to know, you will.

"Nala," Zira called.

She turned around, "Yes?"

"Take care of my cubs for me, will ya?"

"How long?" Behind that question was another, _How long will it take for you to be back? _

"I'll be back tomorrow," Zira said.

Nala stared for a minute before nodding. And she left.

Zira waited for Nala to be out of sight before getting up, too. Nala was right: she needed to hunt a little. She wouldn't catch anything too big since that would be a waste. She'd just catch a rat or two. She escaped Scar's repair and started to run. Raising her head a little, she tried catching the scent of any animal. The wind blew in her face the odor of a rat, hidden behind the grass very near.

It didn't even have the time to blink before Zira was on it. One second later, its neck was broken. Three huge bites and the rat was eaten. Calmly, she walked to the oasis of water. She hadn't drunk in a while and somehow, just felt the need to drink. She wouldn't have eaten if Nala hadn't stopped by, though.

The fresh water felt good on her tongue. She hadn't noticed how dry her mouth was until then.

Drinking now, it reminded her of the day she met Scar. Her parents had just been killed by a bunch of hyenas. They had been eaten alive before her eyes. How she had managed to get away, she still didn't know.

She had run for days under the warm sun. She didn't know how to hunt by herself then. She was so young. She hadn't known anything else than the warmness of her parents, of the way they barely had time for her but still took care of her the best they could.

She had been running for hours that day and still hadn't found any place to drink. She was scared the hyenas would eventually catch up with her and slaughter her the way they had with her parents.

She had more and more trouble to pay attention to her surroundings. Everything around her was just so hazy. Hence why she didn't see the hill in front of her until she was trying to run on it. Of course, she fell, tumbling down of it, heads over paws, not able to stop.

The contact of the freezing water against her fur had been like a wake-up call. She had tried to swim, try to get to the shore, but the water was so strong, the waves were too big for her to keep swimming.

Why would she keep going, anyway? She had no one else left. She knew no one else. Her family had died. And she knew that she wouldn't manage to do this on her own. She needed someone, but hadn't found anyone in the days that she had been alone.

Slowly, she felt that the flow was sucking all her energy. She had more and more trouble moving her paws to swim. She felt like something was dragging her down, downer every time. She swallowed cups of water and it was more and more difficult for her to keep her head out of the water.

She couldn't even roar for help.

And when she finally gave up, that's when he came. That's when he saved her and dragged her out of the water, saving her life, giving her hope for the first time. Hope that she wouldn't be alone. Hope that someone would be her new family. Hope. Just hope.

Raising her head up, stopping to drink, Zira knew. She couldn't wait any longer. She had waited long enough. It was time. Too bad if Kopa didn't trust her. Too bad if Nala or Simba didn't think she was free of Scar's hold.

She needed a new plan to have Kopa away from everyone else.

That's when she reminded something that Vitani had asked her a couple of days ago. She had wanted to know if what Kopa had said was true. She wanted to make sure that Zira hadn't told her lies.

Vitani.

That's how she'd get Kopa alone and very far away from everyone else, too far away for anyone to hear him when he'd scream his pain or when he'd beg for mercy.

There was no mercy for him.

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cook563: that's what I was aiming for when I first started this fanfiction! thanks for reading, glad you enjoyed!

DarthRushy: woow, I love your enthusiasm! I'm sorry there was no Vitani and Kopa in that chapter. That'll come very soon! Hope you enjoyed!

Calise Serana: I hear you very well. This chapter was longer, so I hope that it makes you .. happy? Anyway, I'll try to make the chapters longer. And yeah, I wanted to make what I believe should have been the real "The Lion King 1 1/2". I'm also making up "The Lion King 1/2" to fill some holes left in the movies, and what I think should have been explained. There's so much to say, it's just crazy. Anyway, hope you enjoyed!

**I'll stop promising anything because that's obviously not working. This chapter was longer, but hopefully the wait won't be. Thank you for still reading even though I'm a sucker at updating fast. **


	10. Chapter 9

**Hello! Sorry, sorry for the very very very very late update. I was in vacation and I just got back. Hope you enjoy. I know you'll probably think that not a lot is going on in this chapter, but I promise, the action, the real thing, is coming real soon. Just hope you'll be patient enough to wait for it. **

**Thanks a lot for reading, you're the best.**

**Love.**

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When Zira came back to the Pride rock, she hadn't expected anyone to welcome her. She hadn't thought that Nala would have reassemble everyone just because she was back. She was Scar's widow. She didn't deserve a welcoming committee.

But when she stepped one paw on the rock, she saw three fur balls making their way to her, as fast as they could. They embraced her as best as they could. For a moment, Zira was taken aback.

What exactly were they doing? She'd never taught them to do that. She'd never _asked _them to do such thing.

Perhaps her stay away had turned them into weaklings. That's something _Kopa _would do, not her own cubs. Dryly, she pushed them back, holding herself back to not roar at them and do what she would have done if no one was there to witness it.

She saw fear in the eyes of her cubs, but they didn't walk away. They just looked up at her, wondering.

"Mother," Nuka said.

When she shot him a glance, he gulped and glanced down. She'd have to teach him how to be a lion. He was old enough to be one, to be taught how to fight. He wasn't supposed to look down.

But in front of his own mother, that was fine. Zira just hoped that he wouldn't bow the same if it was before an enemy.

"Are you back for good?" Vitani slowly asked.

Her big eyes were studying her mother's expression, trying to read her. She couldn't understand what was wrong with her mother. Obviously, something was, but she wouldn't say. She didn't quite get why she couldn't be more like Nala. There never seemed to be any sort of problem between the Queen and her son while with Zira everything just seemed so complicated.

Zira nodded. "I'm back," she just stated, walking past them.

She didn't glance once at Kovu. He'd expected her to grab her by the neck's skin to keep training, but she hadn't even gestured to do so. She'd just ignored him.

Had he done something wrong? His mother was always around him and now that he'd expected her to go back to her usual behaviour, she didn't seem to care for one single second whether he was there.

Zira walked to Nala, greeting her with a nod.

"Is everything okay?" Nala asked her old friend.

Zira nodded. "Everything's fine."

Fine was not okay. Fine was not good. Fine was not wonderful. Fine was just another word to dodge the question or to avoid speaking about the real matter, about the real problem.

Nala knew but she chose against saying something. Zira deserved peace after that many days. Perhaps she'd finally stopped dwelling on Scar's death. If she had, it would be best for everyone, Nala thought.

Simba arrived at that moment and spotted Zira. A genuine smile crossed his face as he headed toward her. "There are a couple of zebras waiting for you to hunt them down," he told her, joking.

But Zira didn't crack a smile nor did she laugh. Instead, she said, almost bowing, "I'll get to work as soon as I can."

Simba cocked his head to the side, confused.

"He's just teasing," Nala explained.

Zira looked at her sideways. "Okay," she said. "I'll still go hunting."

"You don't have to," Nala said but Simba cleared his throat. "Yes, you have to, but it can wait," she corrected, ignoring the other growl that Simba tried to keep down.

Zira just ignored her and pretended that she hadn't heard Simba. Soon, none of them would matter. Kovu would be king and that would be it.

Coming to think of it, Simba _was _the reason why Scar was dead. He'd been the one to turn the hyenas on him. Everything was his fault, too.

So why only kill the son?

Simba would be alive, just like her, to feel the pain of the loss. She could have killed Nala, but it would not be the same. She needed to do something more radical. Nala was just too easy, anyway.

And even though Zira would not admit it, but slicing the throat of the lioness she'd once called her best friend was not really her priority . . . nor would it ever be.

"I'll rest for the night and wake up early tomorrow," Zira promised instead.

Nala just nodded and watched as she went in to sleep. Looking back at Zira's cubs, she came closer to them and licked fondly the top of each's head. They were like the cubs that she didn't have yet. She liked the way that they would always keep Kopa entertained.

Talking of which . . . where was he?

Kopa had observed the scene from afar. There was something about that Zira, every time that she'd look at him that he despised. It made him feel uneasy and he didn't like that feeling.

He watched as she walked away from them.

As soon as she was out of sight, Vitani jumped on her paws and started running around, probably looking for Kopa. He roared to let her know where he would be.

The waterhole.

They met there like they'd been doing for a couple of days. It was their heaven, their little paradise, the place where they could pretend to be anyone.

Zazu'd told them something weird. He said that it would be likely that Vitani and Kopa would end up king and queen. When he'd told them that, they'd both winced, thinking it would be weird to have to be with what they considered their best friend.

But they got used to the idea.

And they actually embraced it.

Vitani didn't see anyone else that could compete with Kopa. It was him and no one else. He was the only one that she could see, and she felt like he would be the only one that she'd _ever _see. If she'd accepted it, she knew that her mother would not like that idea.

Most likely, she already knew that Kopa and Vitani were meant to be wed. It was no secret, and it seemed to be tradition around here. Normalcy. Nothing wrong with that.

Plus, if Zira hadn't been okay with the idea, she would have said something by now, wouldn't she?

But still, Vitani didn't want to risk talking to her mother in case she hadn't realized it yet. If it would ruin her marriage before the date, she was not interested in such thing.

While Zira had been gone, Vitani and Kopa and grew closer and closer. When they saw them together, Simba and Nala would be reminded of the time that they were their age, of the time that they didn't bother about responsibilities or about being serious. It was a great time.

Kopa, on the other hand, was more than thrilled about his bride-to-be. He had never been really interested in females. It had always been such an abstract concept for him. To him, there were adults and cubs. Vitani belonged to the latter.

But if he had cared for one second, he'd have picked her.

He didn't know why, but he just felt it in his bones. She was the one. They were supposed to be. And that was wide enough for him.

"Do you think that . . . do you think that we need to tell my mother about us?" Vitani asked Kopa later the next day.

Kopa shrugged, his eyes on a butterfly that was flying nearby. "Shouldn't she already know?"

Vitani groaned. "I guess, but she never said anything."

"Let her say something," Kopa suggested.

"Perhaps she'll be less angry if I introduce the subject," Vitani objected.

"Maybe," Kopa said.

Maybe. That wasn't good enough for Vitani. How scared was she about her mother? Damn scared. Scared to death. There was no reason to that, though.

In fact, Vitani wasn't really scared of her mother. She was afraid of her reaction.

Zira was still her mother. She wouldn't dare hurt her . . . would she?

That night, after Zira came back from hunting, she was very tired. She was exhausted, but it didn't matter to her. She was growing back her muscles and her will was not weakening. It was only getting stronger and stronger. She was focused on one single goal, and she would master it.

Vitani thought that because her mother was tired, it would be easier to talk to her about that.

"Mother?" she said as Zira sat down next to her, at the foot of the Pride rock. Vitani wanted to speak to her mother alone, away from indiscreet ears.

"Yes, Vitani?"

Zira's voice felt sweet and caring. That encouraged Vitani to go on.

"When Kopa's going to be King," Vitani started, "he's going to need a Queen." She paused and out of the corner of her eye, tried to see if her mother had reacted. Zira hadn't even blinked. So Vitani continued, "And you know that . . . well, he doesn't really get to pick who is . . . but I . . . he . . ."

Zira cut her off. She'd tried not to be exasperated by her daughter, but when she didn't get to the point right away, it infuriated Zira. There was no time to lose whatsoever. There was no time to stutter or to take the time to get the right words out. Even if it was the wrong words, it was still words and Zira would still understand.

Of course Zira knew about the "wedding". She'd known ever since Vitani was born. She had never been really into it until that day. If she was going to use Vitani against Kopa, she might as well pretend that she wanted this marriage to work and to happen.

So she put on her sweetest smile, the one she used to give Scar whenever he would be pissed off at something, and said, "I know. You're supposed to be Queen."

Vitani stopped breathing, hearing the matter-of-factly tone of her mother. She wasn't quite sure if that was a good sign although the smile definitely was.

Perhaps her mother wasn't that bad after all.

"You're . . . It's okay with you?" Vitani asked, dumbfounded.

Zira nodded. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"I . . . I don't know. I guess I always thought you didn't like Kopa."

Zira shook her head. She didn't only didn't like him. She hated, despised him. "Of course not."

With a bright smile, Vitani rubbed her head against her mother's paw before running to Kopa to tell him the good news.

Zira watched as her daughter was apparently thrilled by her mother's acceptance.

If she only knew why Zira had pretended to be content with the wedding.

If only.

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**cook563**: hey, I don't know if I'll stick with the "actual" story or if I'll go my own way. It's true that I do love Kopa, but what I wanted to do when I started this fanfic was find an explanation for Zira's banishment and all. So I don't know about that yet, but thank you for the suggestion!

**Jacie:** thanks, sweetie!


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